Until the middle of the 20th century, a clear belief prevailed that a person is an inherently vicious, evil creature, and only external factors (for example, upbringing) restrain his animal instincts.
However, philosophers and psychologists had to rethink these ideas after two wars, during which man showed himself not at all as a being torn apart by instincts. Numerous cases of heroism, sacrifice in the name of an idea, country, person led to the fact that the humanistic theory of personality was born. Its creator is Abraham Maslow, who put forward the postulate of an initially good, spiritual person with innate spiritual needs. It is external negative factors that contribute to curbing these needs.
Self-actualization
The main term used by the humanistic theory of personality is the concept of self-actualization.
Revealing in the process of spiritual andpersonal development of their moral potential, a person is updated. This means that he recognizes his innate needs, freeing himself from the oppression of negative external factors, and seeks to satisfy them. This process of improvement, approaching one's "I" is called self-actualization. The humanistic theory of personality development believes that a person always strives for self-realization because of his innate needs, and this process has no end (because there is always something to strive for). Consequently, a person is constantly striving for progressive development and will not be able to stay in a state of rest for a long time.
Erich Fromm's theory
Many are perplexed when they hear that a person is considered as an inherently positive being. Why so much cruelty, anger, crimes? The humanistic theory of personality believes that even in the most cruel people there are prerequisites for self-development, it is just that these needs for them have been blocked by negative social conditions. Each person can begin to realize these needs at any stage of their life path.
In this regard, one cannot fail to mention the name of the famous psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, who saw in a person the desire for activity and love. E. Fromm's humanistic theory of personality puts forward a number of higher existential needs that an individual has:
- need to care for someone (connection with others);
- need to create (constructive);
- commitment tosecurity, stability (need for support);
- need to be aware of one's uniqueness;
- need for an explanatory frame of reference;
- need for the meaning of life (it should be some object).
Fromm believed that the pressure of external factors drowns out these needs, as a result of which a person does not act as he wants. This contradiction causes a strong personal conflict. The humanistic theory of personality put forward by Fromm shows how two opposing aspirations fight in a person: to preserve their identity and not to remain outside society, people. Here, rationalization comes to the aid of the individual, when he independently makes a choice - to obey the norms of society now or to take into account his needs.
